1.3 Test yourself on what you’ve learned so far
In this activity, you have the opportunity to test yourself and your understanding of the material you have recently learned.
Activity 1 Quiz
a.
a) The classical view of the crowd is commonly considered to be first articulated by Gustave Le Bon.
b.
b) The classical view of the crowd has had a considerable impact both on crowd research and popular perception of the crowd.
c.
c) The classical view of the crowd originated the social scientific concept of individuation.
d.
d) Contemporary crowd research is often conceived in dialogue with Le Bon’s original ideas and their thrust.
The correct answer is c.
Answer
c) The concept that the classical view promotes is deindividuation rather than individuation: it is thought that when being part of a crowd, we lose our individuality, especially as regards moral responsibility for our actions.
a.
a) … was used by Le Bon and is ignored by contemporary crowd scientists.
b.
b) … relates mainly to fizzy drink originating from the Italian region of Calabria.
c.
c) … applies to a personal characteristic not seen in groups.
d.
d) … was originally proposed by Le Bon and subsequently re-examined by contemporary crowd researchers.
The correct answer is d.
Answer
d) Le Bon’s was an essentially pessimistic view of the crowd and he connected the phenomenon of effervescence to the crowd’s volatility; contemporary researchers like Nick Hopkins note the phenomenon of effervescence but relate it to the formation of new identities and enhanced relationships between members of the crowd.
a.
a) The likelihood of violence increases with the size of the group.
b.
b) The likelihood of conciliatory behaviour may increase with the size of the group.
c.
c) When in crowds, individuals will lose their sense of self.
d.
d) Crowd research has progressed little since the end of the nineteenth century.
The correct answer is b.
Answer
b) An interesting finding by Levine and his colleagues. While findings are established that the likelihood of violence may increase with the size of the group, it is also true that so will conciliatory behaviour.